Build or buy a
cash flow tool?
Short answer: Buy first if your data is in QuickBooks or Xero and standard reports answer your questions: the QuickBooks Online cash flow planner is included in US plans, LivePlan starts at $20/month and Fathom Pro costs $450/month for 25 companies. Build with Claude Code (Claude Pro, $20/month) when you need a custom layout, unusual data or want to understand every number.
For most small businesses the honest answer is: buy first. Off-the-shelf cash flow tools are cheap, tested and connect to your accounting system in minutes. Building your own makes sense when the standard reports do not fit, or when the point is to learn how the numbers are made.
Disclosure: The Experts AI teaches a workshop on building a cash flow dashboard with Claude Code.
The options side by side
| Option | Price | Cash flow forecasting | Connects to | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online cash flow planner | Included in US QuickBooks Online plans | Yes, projections from invoices, bills and expenses in QuickBooks | QuickBooks data and connected bank accounts | Owners already on QuickBooks who want a quick view |
| LivePlan | Standard $20/month ($15 billed annually); Premium $40/month ($30 annually) | Yes, profit and cash forecast | QuickBooks Online, Xero | Small businesses writing a plan and tracking against it |
| Fathom | Pro $450/month for 25 companies; Portfolio $67/month for 100 companies (no forecasting) | Pro: three-way forecasting | QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB, FreeAgent, Excel, Google Sheets | Accounting firms reporting for many clients |
| Build with Claude Code | Claude Pro $20/month billed monthly | Whatever you build, such as a 13-week forecast | Any CSV or Excel export | Custom layouts, unusual data, and learning how the numbers are made |
Sources: QuickBooks cash flow planner, LivePlan pricing, Fathom pricing, Claude pricing.
Buy when
- Your data already sits in QuickBooks or Xero and the standard layout answers your questions.
- You report for many clients and need consistent packs (Fathom's use case).
- Nobody on the team has time to maintain a tool.
Build when
- You need a view the software does not offer: a specific 13-week layout, several entities, custom categories, data from a bank or POS export.
- You want to understand and check every number, not trust a black box.
- You are building a skill: a finance person who can build small tools with Claude Code can reuse it for reconciliations, checks and reports.
The hidden cost of building
A tool you build is a tool you maintain. Keep it small, keep the source data in plain CSV, and write down the control totals it must reproduce. Test with known numbers before real data, such as our cash flow dashboard template or the 13-week forecast template.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to build a cash flow dashboard with Claude Code?
The subscription is similar to entry-level software (Claude Pro is $20/month billed monthly), but you also spend time building and maintaining it. It pays off when you need something the standard tools do not do, or you will reuse the skill.
Does QuickBooks Online have cash flow forecasting?
US QuickBooks Online includes a cash flow planner that projects from invoices, bills and expenses in QuickBooks, per Intuit's help article.
What does Fathom cost?
As checked on September 29, 2026: Fathom Pro is $450/month for 25 companies with forecasting; Fathom Portfolio is $67/month for 100 companies without forecasting.
Turn a CSV into a working cash flow dashboard.
A self-paced Claude Code workshop for bookkeepers, accountants and FP&A: six lessons, one project, sample data with expected totals. Taught by CFO Leo Godnik.
See the six lessons — $69 → Or start with the free lesson ↗